


Are We Wasting Time Or Is It Wasting us?

by poisonousdream



Category: Marvel, Thor (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Midgard!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-30
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2017-11-15 09:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/525852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonousdream/pseuds/poisonousdream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki Laufeyson is a single father with four (Slepnir, Jormungandr, Fenrir, and Hel) kids. Between his job, dance lessons, grocery shopping, and PTO meetings, Loki finds himself permanently exhausted. On top of everything, his job is becoming more and more of a challenge because of his incredibly busy schedule. </p><p>Thor Odinson than comes into the picture and gets along with the kids so well that Loki realizes if they both commit to this relationship, his life could be much, much easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Loki jerked his eyes open as he heard the sound of his name being spoken.He blinked his eyes a couple of times and looked at his receptionist who was standing in front of the desk in his office. 

“What is it Samantha?” He questioned the girl impatiently, who was wearing a sheepish expression on her face. He really needed to consider hiring someone else: the girl standing in front of him was too timid. He had heard her answer his calls and she had left a lot to be desired for. He only hired the damn girl because her sister had helped him out with his children.  


“I have your daughter’s teacher on line one sir… she wants to speak with you…” Samantha told him hesitantly. Loki’s expression hardened and waved her out of his office quickly. He took a sip from his cup of coffee and grimaced when it was stone cold. He took a collected breath to gather his composure and picked up the phone from his desk. 

“This is Loki Laufeyson speaking, how can I help you?.” He questioned the person on the other line who he had grown to detest greatly. 

“Hi, Mr Laufeyson. It’s Mrs Green, Hel’s teacher.” Spoke the cheery voice down the other line. Yes, you insufferable fool: I know who you are Loki thought to himself. He scribbled a note on a post-it to research other schools in the area to consider sending Hel to as he waited for the woman to get to the point. He looked at the clock on his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.  


“Mrs Green. As pleasant as this conversation is, does it have a point?” Why was he plagued by people who were intent on wasting his precious time, when time was something he often didn't have a lot of. 

“Oh right, of course. I was ringing to say that dance class has been cancelled tonight, so Hel will have to be collected at 3pm.” Loki cursed the woman and the school profusely in his head. This was exactly what he didn't need today of all days. 

“So, let me get this straight. You have just wasted fifteen minutes of my time when you could have left a message with my receptionist, you insufferable woman!” He snapped down the phone at her then proceeded to slam the phone back on the receiver. He circled his post-it three times. 

“Samantha! Get my mother on the line. And for future reference, if that woman rings again: take a message!” He really needed to look into getting a new receptionist pronto. 

“Y-Your mother, sir?” Samantha squeaked at him. 

“No. That under qualified woman who calls herself my daughter’s teacher. You incompetent little girl!” Loki screamed at her whilst throwing his coffee cup at the door. He received great satisfaction from watching it smash into pieces. He may as well give his cleaners something to do as it seemed they didn’t do anything other than the bare minimum, and take his money. He needed to speak to his mother quickly as he had to leave the office in half an hour to go give his presentation to his client on the line of defence he had chosen for them. Loki prided himself on the fact that he had never lost a case yet. If he landed this case then all the endless hours he put in at the office, and the late nights he had stayed up to work on his presentation for the last six weeks would have paid off. His gaze landed on the framed photo he had of his four children on his desk. If he landed this case then it meant he would be able to have more time for his children. Line one flashed on his phone, so he picked up the receiver to answer it. 

“Hello, Loki Laufeyson speaking, how can I help you?" He drawled down the line. 

“Loki, your receptionist just called me and said you wished to speak with me?” Spoke the soft voice of his mother on the end of line. 

“Hello mother… I need to ask you to do me a favour… Hel’s dance class has been cancelled and I’m in need of someone to pick her up from school. I have an important presentation to give in twenty five minutes and I won’t be able to collect her on time.” Loki cringed inwards as he had already asked his mother to do many favours for him this week. He hated asking so much from her, as he felt that he was taking advantage too much of her good nature. His mother was a truly wonderful woman who always had time to give his children when he couldn't. 

“Of course I will, Loki. You know I don’t mind picking up the children. Your father enjoys their company in the house as much as I do.”  
He smiled slightly to himself when his mother accepted to pick up Hel. She was his youngest at the tender age of four and a half, while her three older brothers: Jormungandr, Fenrir and Slepnir were aged six, ten and twelve. Odin, his father had finally stepped up to the plate when Hel was born and became a proper grandfather to his children. He had cut Loki out of his life for a long time when he had heard that Loki had become a father to Slepnir at the age of eighteen. 

“Thank you mother, I'll come over as soon as I can.”  
He gave his love to his mother and thanked her again when she wished him good luck, then hung up the phone. With a sweeping look around his office he walked to his mirror which hung on the wall adjacent to the window and studied his appearance. After a quick flattening down of his hair, and a re-adjustment of his tie he was ready. Loki checked his presentation folder one last time checking everything he needed was present before leaving for his important meeting.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki managed to get away from the meeting at eight o’clock that evening. He sat in his car taking a moment to collect his thoughts and run through what had told his clients. He had been able to answer all of their questions, and back them up with hard evidence. The clients gave the impression of being impressed but you never could tell in this business. The competition is so cut throat that they might back out at the last second and pick another law firm to defend them. Loki lets out the deep breath he’s been holding and loosens his tie. He did all he could: now he’ll just have to wait for their verdict and hope all his time and hard work has paid off. Turning on the radio he starts the ignition and makes the drive to his mother’s house. 

Just as he pulls into his mother’s drive way he stubs out his cigarette into the ashtray and squirts some aftershave in an attempt to mask the smell of smoke. He knows it’s a futile effort, but one he does none the less. It’s his one indulgence in life: he has never taken drugs, and has been teetotal for just over ten years after being in a collision with a drunk driver who nearly killed him and Slepnir who was only a toddler at the time. Even after all these years it still affects him, and he has to use his cane on really bad days. He knows his mother disapproves of his smoking habit but it helps him relax so he continues to feed his nicotine addiction. He turned off the radio and the ignition and walks up the path to his childhood home.

Loki stood in front of the door for a few seconds enjoying the night’s cool air on his skin and the quiet atmosphere of his surroundings. Through the frosted windows of the door he make out the shapes of his family moving around in the house. A smile forms on his lips as he turns his key in the lock and can hear a child’s gasp of excitement and the sound of little feet racing to the door. As he opens the door he is nearly knocked over by a small child colliding into his leg. He let out a laugh as his daughter makes a grunt at the impact and beams up at him through her messy black locks. 

“Daddy you’re home! I missed you!” Hel grinned up at her father still clinging to his leg. Loki bends down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and murmured softly “hello little one”. In return Hel flings her arms around his neck and rested her head into the crook of his neck as he lifted her into his arms. He felt a wave of love course through his body and the last of his tension drain from him. He closed his eyes and savoured the feeling of his daughter in his arms, his lips tilted up into a smile as he could feel Hel playing with a strand of his hair. 

He opened his eyes with a jolt as he felt something bump into his leg. He looked down at saw Fenrir looking triumphantly up at him.  
“I got you good Dad! “ Fenrir told him with a huge grin on his face. It was a little competition between him and Loki. It started a few months back when Loki had surprised him, and Frigga had told Fenrir that Loki used to have a competition between the two of them as to who could sneak up the best. Fenrir had jumped at the challenge and ever since it had been their little game.  
“You really did little one.” Loki laughed as Fenrir huffed and crossed his arms with a scowl. He shifted his weight and Hel to ruffle Fenrir’s hair.  
“Sorry love, I forget you’re a big boy now.” Fenrir nodded still scowling but looked pleased at being called big. Loki placed Hel down on the ground and quietly told them to run along he’d be with them in a moment. He felt the rush of love again as Hel held Fenrir’s hand and started telling him about something. 

It was moments like this that made all the long hours and lack of sleep worth it. He knew no matter how bad of a day he was having he could pick up his children from his mother’s and they would make everything okay. He was a firm believer of keeping work and home life separate as much as he could. Slowly he was reducing his workload and he had recruited some new staff that who was starting on Monday. He could actually fully relax this weekend without having cases gnaw at the back of his mind. Loki was planning where could take the children out when he heard the sound of footsteps which always made him feel dread.

“Did you close the deal, and land the case?” Odin demanded him. Loki took his time hanging up his jacket, whilst mentally preparing himself for the questions he would be subjected to. He stood straighter and turned to face his father.  
“They gave me that impression, sir. They will let me know their answer by tomorrow morning.” Loki replied stiffly. He studied his father’s appearance, as he was sure he was doing the same to him. Odin hadn’t changed over the years: as always he was dressed formally in a suit, hair combed perfectly with a drink in his hand. The only variable that was subject to change was the choice of alcohol. Tonight it was whiskey. Loki tried to read his father’s expression but had long since given up on that. 

Odin gave him one final glance before leaving the room without saying another word. The breath he wasn’t conscious of holding was let out and relief ebbed back into his body as his heart beat slowed down. A rush of anger soon went through him as always after his encounters with Odin. Odin’s lack of response spoke volumes. Still after all these years he was never good enough for his father. He passed every test Odin had thrown at him and all for nothing. His father had never accepted him or believed him. Well that would change soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really too happy with this, but it's been ages since I updated. Sorry it's filler, I just wanted to give a bit of a background to Loki.


	3. Chapter 3

The weekend always went too quickly for his liking and before he knew it was Monday morning again. Thor stared up at his bedroom ceiling scowling at the over enthusiastic radio presenter talking from his alarm, who was always too happy at six forty five on a Monday morning. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and the last remnants of his dream faded into nothing. He knew it he had been having a good dream before Mister Chirpy woke up him. He scrunched his face up and attempted to jog his memory about his dream: two brunettes, the ocean and champagne rattled around in his brain. Thor attempted to latch onto the images, but his brain wasn't playing nice today and felt like his was trying in vain to hold water cupped in his hands but it all trickled through the gaps and his hands were left empty. 

He cursed Fandral under his breath for making him think in metaphors at this time on Monday morning. Thor let out a low chuckle when he recalled Fandral using said metaphor to explain how the blonde he was trying to get with wasn't interested.  
“Women are slippery creatures, my dear Thor. Sometimes it’s like you’re trying to keep water cupped in your hands and some of it trickles through the gaps. Happens to the best of us.” He’d explained to him whilst eyeing up a red head that had just walked in the bar. 

Thor arched his back off his bed and stretched before getting out of bed and turning off his alarm. Today was a big day for him as he was starting his new job, so he would do well to get to work on time. He didn't really know much about what he would actually be doing in his new job. All he was told by his father’s personal assistant was to be there for eight am sharp. He quickly jumped in the shower and put on his clothes. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and snorted at himself dressed up in a suit. He was much more of a jeans and flannel shirt kind of guy, but gotta make a good first impression. 

Thor ate breakfast, which was nothing eventful and got into his car. He adjusted his rear view mirror and pulled out the business card that had the address he needed to go to. “Odin All father Law Firm” he read out to himself as he looked at the address. The name rang some distant bell in his mind but he couldn't remember why or how he had heard the name before. Thor shrugged and made the drive there.

He had forgotten how bad the traffic could get in the city at rush hour and just about made it to the office on time. As he quickly made his way into the building he took a deep breath in an attempt release the tension he was feeling. He glanced around at his new work place. It was nothing too fancy like his father’s place which imposed the feeling of power and money. It wasn't too shabby, just a little more understated and less in your face Thor mused to himself as he signed in at reception and made his way to his new desk. 

***********

His morning passed relatively quickly, having spent the most of it learning the ropes and getting to know where everything was. He was still unclear what his job was exactly, as everyone was too busy to stop and actually give him a definite answer. He’d yet to meet his new boss either, and every time he asked he would just get a grunt of ‘busy’. Suit themselves, Thor thought. He was just thinking about leaving to go on his lunch break when a woman walked in with a small crying child in tow. Thor looked around as the office went silent and everyone stared at them with a look of foreboding. Maybe this was his boss. He got up from his desk and walked over to the woman who was looking harassed and trying to stop the little girl crying. 

“Hi, I'm Thor Odinson. I'm new here you must be my boss, pleasure to meet you.” He said as he introduced himself and held out his hand. The woman looked at him and let out a strange laugh.  
“I'm not your boss.” She made the strange laugh again and in the process managed to make her hair look even more frazzled. The little girl was still crying, and Thor felt sorry for the little thing. He bent down on his knee and smiled at her. She looked back at him curiously and momentarily stopped crying. Thor smiled wider at her and pulled a tissue out from his pocket. 

“Why the sad face little one?” He enquired softly as he offered her the tissue. She looked at it unsure for a few seconds and then took it rubbing her eyes with it.  
“Finally! Do you know how bloody long it has taken me to try and get her to stop? All she’s done since I picked her up is cry!” The woman exclaimed loudly making the little girl jump in fright. Thor glared up at the woman. That is no way to speak in front of an obviously upset kid.  
“Excuse me lady. But that’s no way to speak about a kid, especially in front of them." He told her as he stood back up and glared at her. The woman looked back at in him in shock, which then turned into anger. She squared her shoulders and glared at him. 

“Oh yeah? Well I quit! Worse job I've ever had looking after some nut jobs kids! I'm never doing a favour again for my sister I'm telling you that now! Here, if you think you’re so good at it: you look after her because I'm out of here!” She shouted at him before promptly spinning on her heel and storming out. The door slammed closed and Thor stood there in shock looking at the little girl who looked back at him with a similar expression. He looked around the office to try and find someone to help him out but no-one would make eye contact with him. What the hell was he meant to do with an abandoned kid?! Today really wasn't going as planned.

************

Loki left the board room a little while after dinner time, and was in high spirits. He’d secured the deal over the weekend and his meeting with the client had gone well. Everything was on the up and going to plan. He hummed a tune to himself quietly as he made his way along the corridor back towards his office. He smiled at a few of the people he passed, but none of them would look him in the eye. Strange he thought briefly, well he had been a bit of a slave driver lately what with this deal and their other cases. His team deserved a little bonus or something, perhaps a bottle of champagne. Yes, that would be an adequate thank you. He quickly wrote down a memo to himself and walked to his office. He stopped dead when he heard the distinctive laugh of his daughter. 

***********

Somehow, Thor had managed to keep his cool and take control of the situation. He had successfully managed to avert another crying fit from the little girl who was now sat happily on his desk smiling at him munching on some jelly beans. He was never more grateful for having a sweet tooth and always having a stash of sweets to hand.  
“Okay little one, I'm going to need your help because I'm a little bit way over my head here…Can you tell me your name sweetheart, and where your parents are so I can return you to them?” He asked her as she threw a jelly bean at him and he caught in his mouth. She gasped in delight and clapped her hands giggling and did it again. She looked at him cautiously once again, and for one second Thor thought she wasn't going to reply.  
“My name is Hel, and my Daddy works here… I had an accident in s-school and I was picked up and brought here because the nanny lady was m-mad that I had an a-accident.” Hel looked down and her face crumpled up and tears started to pool in her eyes. Thor without giving it a second thought opened his arms and gave Hel a comforting hug. 

The next second he is being violently pulled away from her and is faced with an extremely pissed off looking guy. If looks could kill he would have died a horrible death. The guy grabbed Hel and pulled her into his arms protectively.  
“What the hell do you think you're doing with my daughter!” The man snarled at him viciously, nostrils flaring, eyes narrowed. Well that solves one problem Thor thought to himself as he took a step back from the guy.  
“Answer me!” Loki roared at him. 

“I-ur look it’s not what it looks like okay. I'm new here- it’s my first day and I was just going about my day when this woman stormed in with He- your daughter… and your daughter was obviously distressed, and I thought the woman was my new boss so I went to introduce myself. Then she ur flipped her sh- lost her cool…” he quickly amended as he glanced at Hel.  
“…and then she just upped and left and she quit and I was left here with your daughter. I was just trying to find out what her name was and who her parents were so I could get a hold of them. Then you ur showed up, so problem solved...” Thor rambled quickly as his words died off and he swallowed nervously. This guy looked really pissed. 

The guy was about to rip him a new one when Hel quickly whispered something in her Dad’s ear. The guy still glared at him viciously, but listened silently to what Hel was saying. She said something and sniffed upset again, and quick as a flash the murderous guy was gone. He murmured something back to Hel and a place a gentle kiss on her forehead and stroked her cheek soothingly. He turned his attention back to Thor, and whilst he was still obviously angry it has seemed to have subsided a bit after what Hel had told him.

“It seems an apology is in order. But know this, if you ever so much as touch a hair on my daughter’s head again without my direct permission I'll not only fire you, I'll have you arrested on the spot. Got it? Good.” Thor nodded dumbly at the guy. No wonder that woman quit. This guy was like a time bomb waiting to go off.  
“I’m Loki Laufeyson, your boss. I'll take a coffee in my office- black. The machine’s over there, and I like it piping hot.” Loki give him a once over and then walked over to his office. He stopped and turned back to Thor.  
“Oh and get some freshly squeezed juice for Hel. She’s allergic to oranges and doesn’t like it with bits in it.” His eyes flashed in warning at Thor then he closed his door on him. Thor groaned to himself and walked to the coffee machine: so much for making a good first impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been so slow on updating. Once again I'm back in uni and the work load is a lot more this year, so I haven't had the time for anything non-academic. I'm not overly pleased with this chapter, and felt like it went a bit The Devils Wears Prada, but I wanted to upload something for everyone who's left a comment, kudos or bookmarked recently. Thank you, it means a lot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for leaving it this long! I didn't realise how it had been since i'd updated this. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait I inflicted on you all.

Loki closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose slowly gathering his composure. He opened them and turned around to face Hel. He sighs inwardly to himself when he sees her anxious expression. He crouched down so he was eye to eye with her and gives her a small smile whilst placing a hand on her delicate little shoulder.

“Hela, darling. What have I told you to do in these situations? Ask to be taken to Grammy’s house until I can pick you up. I don’t know why you weren’t taken there once you were picked up.” He frowned to himself at that last part. Why hadn’t that insufferable ‘nanny’ not taken her to his Mother’s like he had instructed her? Hel’s sniffle directed his thoughts back to her as she bites her lip and looks at the ground.

“Grammy’s gone on holiday remember Daddy…?” She murmured at him. Loki pinched the bridge of his nose and bit his tongue to stop the expletive from rolling off of it. Of course now he remembered. He had surprised her with it a month ago as a thank you for everything she did for him. He looked at his watch and by his calculation his mother would be landing in Oslo to meet her sister. Damn it this really wasn’t ideal, but he could re-arrange meetings and delegate the workload. Again. He’d make his new staff earn their money and maybe he could get home a decent time this week. Yes, that’s what he’d do. Right now though, his main priority was his upset little girl.

Looking back at Hel, he snorted softly through his nose in amusement as he watched her scowling at a disobedient lock of hair not staying where she wanted it. Unexpectedly he was hit with a wave of sadness that stole his breath away. Hel was the image of her mother and her little quirks and mannerisms would often unconsciously mirror her mother’s. He’d been told that his two eldest took after him looks wise whilst Fenrir was a combination of the both of them. He quickly shook his head in an attempt to stop that train of thought. Now wasn’t the time or place to dwell on old memories. 

He got up and brushed down his trousers legs having made a decision. He strolled across to his coat hanger and slipped on his coat then offered his hand to Hel.  
“Well, I guess there’s only one thing for it. We’re going to have to get some ice cream.” Loki laughed when Hel’s face lit and she immediately started pulling him towards the door. He’d sit her down and have a serious talk with her about talking to strangers later he thought as they left his office and made their way to his car.

***

Thor cursed the coffee machine as he pressed random buttons attempting to get the thing to work. Who came up with the idea of making a coffee machine that apparently doesn’t want to make a simple coffee? He’s surprised that his psycho boss didn’t demand him to make some super complicated type of coffee like those assholes always order in Starbucks. He shakes his head to himself at people who ruin a good coffee by adding all weird shit into their drink.

Finally after five more minutes of pressing buttons and scalding himself twice he manages to make the damn coffee. He looks around for a vending machine next to get the little girl some juice. He put the coffee down on his desk and decided to go in search for one. What is it with him and shitty luck he fumed to himself? On reflection he admits it could be taken the wrong way him hugging some random little girl in the middle of the office. But he was only trying to help her- what was her name? Hel. And he thought his name was bad enough. Poor kid. So much for work camaraderie from his co-workers- they’d thrown him to the wolves without a second thought.

It wasn’t until the machine was vending the juice that he was hit with heart stopping thought. Fuck had he accidentally given her an orange jellybean? He racked his brain trying to remember if he had because the kind he liked never had the same colour as their flavour. Forgetting the juice and coffee he sprinted through the office and burst into his boss’s office without knocking. Now wasn’t the time for office etiquette. His mind went into over drive when he saw that the office was empty of both its occupants. He looked around frantically for any clues as to where they’d gone and found none.

Thor ran back out into the office and skidded to a halt in front of the first person he came across. Panting slightly he pointed at the Loki’s office.  
“Where did the boss and Hel go?!” he demanded as he grabbed the startled woman’s shoulder and shook them frantically. The woman tried to brush his hands off her shoulders but he held on tightly.  
“Mr. Laufeyson left with his daughter not long ago. He didn’t say where they’d gone or when he would be back. Now let go of me this instance before I call security.” She told him coldly finally brushing his hands off her shoulders and storming off. This was bad. This was really bad. He may have killed his boss’s daughter with jellybeans! Thor ran back into Loki’s office searching desperately for a phone number to ring or his boss’s personal number. All he found was a number named Mother in the Rolodex on the desk.

Picking up the receiver he punched in the number and waited with baited breath for the call to connect.  
“Hello, darling is everything alright? I’ve just left the airport now with Freya. Thank you again Loki for this trip, I can’t thank you enough. You really shouldn’t have- you know I love looking after the children and it’s no bother at all.” A maternal voice spoke through the phone to Thor who he gathered quickly was Loki’s mother. He cleared his throat nervously before speaking.  
“Hi, ur, Mrs. Laufeyson I’m not your son… I work for him and I really need to get hold of him because I think something terrible has happened and it’s all my fault!” he heard the sharp inhale on the other end of the line and felt even worse. He quickly explained what had happened, leaving out the part where Loki had screamed at him out of respect for his mother. The last thing he expected however was to hear a soft laugh from the woman on the other end of the phone.

“Oh sweetheart, Hel will be fine. Truth be told, I’ve done the same myself before. The worst that happened was she got a bit too hyper and then complained she had a bad belly when she had a sugar crash. None of my son’s previous personal assistants have shown your initiative, so thank you for being so considerate. I know Loki can be a bit difficult to work for at times as, well, my Husband isn’t the easiest person to impress and Loki knows this too well I’m afraid. “ Frigga sighed sadly and Thor felt a twinge a sadness for Loki but more prominently understanding as his Father was exactly the same.  
“I’m afraid I have to go now as my sister has brought the car around. Thank you again for caring so much about my Granddaughter and on behalf of myself and Loki: thank you for looking out for her.” Frigga said goodbye not before giving Thor Loki’s personal number and advised him to call Loki and explain the situation. 

Having significantly calmed down after being reassured by Loki’s mother, Thor decided to bite the bullet and ring Loki before he lost his nerve. The worst that would happen is he’d be screamed at again and probably fired. He was dreading telling his Father he had lost this job on his first day. Sitting down in Loki’s plush office chair he rang the number and waited for him to pick up. On Loki’s desk he noticed a framed photo of younger Loki laughing at the camera as three young boys and a tiny Hel were tackling him. It didn’t take a genius to work out they were Loki’s children; the resemblance was visible in their features. Thor felt strangely privileged to see this snapshot of Loki, as it was clear from the bat he was a very private person and very protective of his children. He was snapped out of his musings when he heard the call connect.

“You better have a damn good reason for calling my personal number from my office.” Loki answered sharply. You can do this Thor, he told himself as he psyched himself up.  
“Hey, um sir. I’m really sorry to bother you on your personal number, I got it from your Mother-“  
“Why in God’s name would my Mother give you my number? More importantly how the hell did you get my Mother’s number?” Loki cut him off as he spoke over him.  
“Yeah, about that… Kind of a funny story really. I thought I’d killed your daughter, so I searched your office and found her number and rang her because I didn’t know how to get a hold of you.” Thor laughed nervously which was met with a deathly silence.  
“Explain.” Loki said shortly and quietly, which set Thor on edge. He fumbled his way through the embarrassing tale explaining how he thought he’d nearly killed Hel, accidentally harassed a colleague, found his Mother’s number told her what he had done in a panic, then how she’d reassured him Hel was fine and to tell Loki what had happened. 

Once again he was met with silence once he’d finished explaining everything. The silence stretched on, as Loki didn’t say anything for a long time. Thor went as far as checking the line was still connected and murmured a nervous hello down the line.  
“I’m still here. I’ll be having words with Mother about giving out my number to my employees, but in this case she…was right to do so. It seems I was a tad over zealous with my actions earlier.” Thor could hear how it much it pained Loki to admit he was wrong and he had to fight back a snort.  
“Yeah, ya think.” Thor couldn’t resist replying. This was met with a snort of laughter from Loki.  
“It seems I finally have a PA who has some balls and initiative. How refreshing. Don’t let that get to your head though as I don’t make a habit of repeating myself.” Loki said although it was instantly undermined as Thor heard a muffled Loki tell Hel twice not to put spoonfuls of ice cream in her drink. Thor laughed out loud at that with a grin on his face.  
“I have to go now. I won’t be back in the office this afternoon so you may leave earlier. I expect to see you in the office bright and early tomorrow.” Loki replied somewhat distracted as Thor heard Hel’s delighted shriek in the background.  
“Sure thing, Loki.” Thor told him. This was met with a pause and then a hum in reply, and then Loki ended the call. Maybe this job wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Before he knew it Thor had already been at his new job for a month now. In that short space of time he felt like had repeatedly been put through the wringer as his every move was scrutinized. What surprised him was how most of the challenges and animosity towards him was from his co-workers, and not Loki. Of course Loki still bit his head off at least once a week and would make snide remarks, but since the incident with Hel there was an unspoken respect between the two of them. Sometimes Thor suspected it was for show, and other times all he could do was try and defuse the situation quickly without getting caught in the crossfire. Situations that were nine times out of ten caused by his co-workers, although he couldn’t prove it, he was certain they were done deliberately and only to him. 

He’d made the mistake of mentioning it in passing to Loki once and he had sneered and told him only the strong survived here- if he wasn’t able to rise above petty office drama then he clearly didn’t belong here. Loki was in a foul mood that day and seemed to take it out on Thor alone. He’d later on found out that Loki’s eldest had hit a kid in his class, and had subsequently been suspended for a week. As a result Loki was short tempered with everyone for that week, and naturally Thor got the blame from everyone. If looks could kill he’d have died a thousand horrible deaths. 

Nobody in the office it seems was capable of being empathic towards others. Thor could see how much Loki’s family drove his desire and passion for success, and how he wanted to make them proud. Instead though, his co-workers saw Loki’s children as a hindrance to their success or more often than not they would use his children as a scapegoat for anything that didn’t go to plan. It was unfortunate and unfair, and Thor hated it. Although he didn’t have children of his own, he could understand and relate to Loki’s motivation as he recently found out he was going to be the godfather of Sif’s unborn child. Already he knew he’d do anything for the baby, and he knew this is what Loki felt like every day in tenfold. 

Even though it wasn’t strictly his job and he wasn’t honestly sure why he did it, he had begun to do little things to make Loki’s life easier. Even if it was just cutting and sticking shapes and pictures for Hel’s school projects (which secretly he enjoyed doing. Although he’d never admit it out loud of course). Right now he was enquiring about potential venues for Fenrir’s up and coming birthday. He’d spotted it marked in Loki’s calendar last week and had seen how packed Loki's schedule was over the next couple of weeks. Feeling pretty awkward, he picked up his phone and dialed Loki’s mother’s number. The last time he’d spoken to her was when he thought he’d killed Hel… man he’d never live that down. The guys (and Sif, but not as much) had ridiculed him so much after he’d made the mistake of telling them about it. Fandral and Volstagg in particular had taken to texting him in the morning ‘reminding’ him not kill the boss’s daughter today. Ha bloody ha.

“Hello, Thor?” spoke Frigga down the line snapping Thor out of his thoughts.  
“I-yes? How do you know my name…?” He was pretty sure he didn’t tell it to her last time they spoke.  
“Loki told me dear,” he could hear the soft amusement in her voice. Of course Loki would have told her his name. Thor rubbed his cheek self-consciously and cringing inward when he felt the heat radiating from them.  
“Sorry to bother you Mrs, ur, Laufeyson… I’m just calling because I noticed that it was Fenrir’s birthday coming up soon. I thought I’d help out by organising a um party but I have no clue what eleven year olds are into these days, so who better to ask than, ur, you, right. Because you’re his Grandmother! - not because you’re an eleven year old, ” God Thor! Shut up you babbling fool! Making a real good impression of yourself to the boss’s Mother! Holding his breath he waited for her to reply to his ramble. The seconds painstakingly went by before he realised Frigga was laughing on the phone.

“Oh my boy, that has really made my day. For future reference, please call me Frigga, dear. I must say you continue to surprise me with your insight and your thoughtfulness for my Son and his children. You’re the first person to do that in a long time. In answer to your question though, Fen loves the stars and all things astronomy. Do you require my assistance with any of the planning?” she asked him.  
“Okay, stars. I can work with that. If you don’t mind that is, could you arrange a list of his friends and the food requirements? I don’t want a repeat of the incident with Hela…” Thor gave a snort of laughter and soon the two of them were in fits of laughter over it. 

After saying goodbye and passing on his mobile number so they could co-ordinate after work, Thor put down the phone. People had started to come back in from their lunch break and were glaring at him unfriendly. Clearly they had heard him laughing on the phone with Frigga, which gave them more ammunition against him. Sure enough, not even five minutes later- one of his female co-workers came up to him smirking saying that Loki wanted to see him in his office. Dragging himself out of his chair he made his way to Loki’s office for the bollocking he knew he was about the receive. Rise above it Thor he told himself, the end result will be worth it. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware of the error with Frigga's last name and so on, but I'm just going to roll with it.


	6. Chapter 6

Loki sat in the car, hands clenching the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were bone white as he struggled to keep his anger in check. He was gagging for a smoke, which didn’t help his mood one bit. Everything that could have gone wrong this morning of course did. Today was one big fucking mess.  
“Dad, are you mad at me…?” Jor asked him timidly from the back seat. Loki’s head darted up as he had forgotten for a moment that Jor was in the car. Earlier on Thor had placed a message on his desk just after lunch. He’d given him a half smile as he left the room lulling Loki into thinking it was good news. It wasn’t. He had been summoned to Jor and Hela’s school immediately because there had been an incident with Jor. 

Thinking the worst he had rushed over as soon as traffic permitted him to. He was then escorted to the Headmistress’s office where he saw Jor sat outside on one of the chairs swinging his legs idly. Loki had rushed over to him and assessed him for any injuries and asked if he was okay. As he was doing this, the Headmistress’s door opened and he was summoned inside. He was aware that she was new to the position and he had yet to met her. 

“Nice of you to finally join us, Mr Laufeyson.” She uttered without looking up from her computer. Instantly causing Loki to take a disliking to her. Forgoing pleasantries he sat down and got straight down to it demanding to know why he was here.  
“Since your children have attended this school, we have had a secretary leave and a number of staff complaints. I don’t tolerate bullying in my school Mr. Laufeyson. From children, or adults.” She had remarked, finally tearing her eyes away from her computer screen. Loki’s nostrils flared, but he bit his tongue. Just about.

“I’m glad to hear that. Now can you get to why I’m here. I have to get back to the office promptly.” He replied smartly glancing at his watch for emphasis. The woman stared at him silently for an infuriately long time before finally replying.  
“Your son was in an altercation with three other students today at lunchtime injuring them. Three younger students.” Loki closed his eyes as he felt his stomach drop hearing this. He thought he had curbed this and set an example when Slepnir had broken that kids nose.  
“I’ll make sure my son apologizes to each of them, and I’ll formally apologise to their parents. It won’t happen again, you have my word on that. Is that all?” he’d asked reasonably.  
“From what I have heard this isn’t the first time one of your children has hurt another student. So forgive me if I don’t take your word. Perhaps if you instilled more discipline in to your children then they wouldn’t think it acceptable to hurt other children.” Loki had been left stunned momentarily before coming back to the present seeing red. He had shot up from his seat and marched out of the room before he said something he’d regret and give the woman further satisfaction. 

“Dad? I’m sorry… I was protecting Hel like you told me. Those boys were picking on her so I shouted at them to leave her alone and then shoved them away when they wouldn’t and one of the boys fell and scrapped his knee…” Jor quietly confessed. Loki’s anger ebbed a bit- of course he didn’t condone violence but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that Jor had stood up for his little sister like he had taught his sons. Driving back to the office with Jor he got his side of the story, which was obviously different to that woman’s. He knew that Jor’s story was the truth though (the boys had only suffered scrapped knees and bruised egos), and that the woman had some vendetta against him. He was definitely going to take action against her for fabricating the truth and slandering his parenting. He would never admit it out loud to anyone, but he did doubt his abilities as a parent constantly and her words had stung him. He had never imaged he’d be a single parent, and he was trying his damnedest to be everything his children needed whilst juggling a full time job which demanded all his time as well. 

As they walked into his office Thor looked up and smiled at both of them. Loki didn’t miss the subtle once over Thor give him trying to assess his mood. This always amused him greatly watching Thor's little mind try to decipher what his current mood was. Naturally, Loki would exaggerate his moods and enjoy the show. Today however, he was too tired for this game, and evidentially Thor must have read something in his face because he took it upon himself to find an important job that only Jor could do. Loki felt an unexpected surge of appreciation for him as Thor wordlessly led himself and Jor out. He sank into his chair suddenly overwhelmed with all that had gone on today. On his desk he spotted a fresh cup of coffee that wasn't there before he left. The cup also had an envelope propped up against it. He opened it and a burst of laughter escaped when he saw a single cigarette at the bottom of it. Thor kept exceeding his expectations daily, which he found pleasantly surprising, but satisfying as it would be an ordeal to start to recruitment process again for another assistant. Tipping out the cigarette and placing it in his jacket pocket he got up and stood in the doorway watching Thor interact with Jor. He had to admit that he was really good with his children, who in turn had taken to him like a duck to water. None of his previous assistants had gained his children's trust so quickly; if at all. 

Sensing eyes on him Thor looked up and gave Loki a warm smile and made his way over to him. He stood next to Loki and observed Jor silently with Loki.  
“He’s a great kid, Loki. He’s scribbling apologies to the punks, and even asking them to be his friend” Thor told him proudly, which made Loki glance over in surprise. He was unaccustomed to someone who wasn’t his Mother being proud of his children. He found this a bit disconcerting, but he also realised he was pleased that Thor was proud of his children. It bothered him though that he couldn't put his finger on why he placed such importance on this fact. All he knew was that Thor was different from everyone else, for a start, much to his annoyance at the beginning- he treated Loki more like a friend than a boss.  
“Do you think maybe you could skip the telling off for a night and meet me at this address, tonight.” Thor said handing him a piece of paper with an address and time printed on it.  
“Wha-“ Loki uttered looking at it dumbly in his hand.  
“All will be revealed!” Thor replied in a singsong voice as he grinned and went back to Jor. Loki refused to look up as he was utterly mortified to realised he was blushing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the big party reveal!


End file.
